Twitter gets a facelift: Largest overhaul in the site's history brings bigger profile pictures and new apps
- Each user can now have a 'cover photo' similar to the recently-added feature on Facebook
- New iPad, iPhone and Android apps bring new features to mobile users
By EDDIE WRENN
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But the site itself has changed little since launch - the Twitter team perhaps cautious of the criticism Facebook gets when it revamps a feature.
But today Twitter announced its biggest overhaul since its launch in 2006, in particular introducing a 'cover photo' to your user account, which will be seen by your followers whether they visit your page on the web, by mobile or by tablet.
The change brings Twitter a little closer to Facebook in terms of having a profile and a cover image, perhaps signalling Twitter's intent as it continues pushing forward.
Twitter 2.0: American TV host Ryan Seacrest, who helped announce the changes, shows off the new profile picture
The old style: Ashton Kutcher, one of Twitter's biggest users, is yet to update, giving us a glimpse of the 'old' Twitter
Twitter is a cultural phenomenon, with more than 140 million users, 340 million tweets sent every day, and a valuation of $8bn.
However, it is still a David to Facebook's Goliath, which has a billion users, and a $100billion stock market flotation under its belt - indeed, the valuation went up by the same amount as Twitter's total value after a speech by Mark Zuckerberg last week.
But Twitter has taken the headlines over the last few years, adored by celebrities and their legions of fans.
With internet users migrating towards a more mobile environment, Twitter has also completely revamped its iPad and phone apps, bringing additional features to what were previously quite basic apps.
FACTFILE: TWITTER
Founded: 2006
Number of users: 140million
Value: $8billion
Key founder: Jack Dorsey
Best known for: Short communications, celebrity updates, contact with companies
FACTFILE: FACEBOOK
Founded: 2004
Number of users: ~one billion
Value: $100billion
Key founder: Mark Zuckerberg
Best known for: Staying in touch with friends and family, sharing images
Experts say the firm is also trying to boost the number of people using its mobile apps following competition from third party apps such as Tweetbot.
'Twitter is trying to push people towards their mobile apps,' said Stuart Miles of web site Pocket Lint.
'Facebook has had cover pictures for a while, but Twitter has also had the ability to change your page - it's just not many people used it.'
New profile pictures: The iPad app has been 're-built' and will also support the new profile images
Announcing the changes on Twitter's blog, the team said: 'Starting today you can make your presence on Twitter more meaningful with new Twitter profiles.
'Upload an all-new header photo on mobile apps for iPad, iPhone and Android or twitter.com, and the same image will appear whenever anyone views your profile on the web or these apps.
'You can upload your header photo, which appears above your Tweets, to express yourself instantly, anywhere.'
Welcome to the family: Twitter are showing off (from left to right) their new desktop version, and new versions for the iPad, iPhone and Android handsets
Other changes include photo streams that now appear below anyone’s most recent Tweets on iPhone, Android and iPad, which can be swiped through to see the photos of other users.
Celebrities such as Ryan Seacrest have already updated their profiles, having helped launched the changes on America's Today Show.
The new versions of the apps bring in the website-based changes, such as the header photos, and there are also more options for updating your profile.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2205033/Twitter-largest-overhaul-launch-brings-cover-photos-page-builds-mobile-apps-ground-up.html#ixzz26ty3WNhh
